Father, As we try to be a light in the darkness, we sometimes feel rejected, criticized, taunted and teased. Give us Your strength in these moments and help us be patient and kind rather than angry and judgmental.
How could persecution ever be a blessing?
Father, what a wonderful truth; if we are reviled by men because of our witness of You, it is a moment of joy, not of persecution. Help us understand that we are never to consider persecution due to our witness to be a problem; just the opposite. Unwarranted persecution is a confirmation of our love. It is a fact Jesus that Your love will grow deeper for us as we declare You before men.
What is God’s fire extinguisher?
Jesus, we know that having Your presence in our lives and hearts brings us peace. Yet, we do not always feel at peace. We sometimes say the wrong things, do the wrong things and think the wrong things. We know, Jesus, there is no peace in disobedience.
My conscience…a flashlight on my soul.
Father, help us this day, not to publicly portray ourselves as Your children and then privately, in our hearts, go right on thinking wrong thoughts and doing things in private that are clearly sinful, as judged by our own hearts.
Rejoice? You have to be kidding. My life is a mess…
Father, Your word says rejoice always. Sometimes Father we feel that true rejoicing in the midst of the trials of this earth is nearly impossible. Thank You for reminding us that we rejoice in the victory of Your presence in all situations. We never suffer or go through trials alone.
Fear not, I will help you…do you believe that?
Dear God, what powerful promises these are. Even in the midst of fear, You lift us up, You extend Your hand to us, in a very personal way. You are our God!
Are we at risk when we witness?
If and when we suffer for declaring You, Jesus, among men, we know that our tribulations bring glory to You. We never can out give You. What You did to redeem us exceeds anything we could have hoped for. Our manifest love for You is our response to Your love for us.
Love without end; perfect fidelity!
Father, this much quoted “love” chapter has some wonderful promises. When we immerse our spirit in Your Spirit, this gift of love lifts us to levels of caring and commitment well beyond anything we can achieve in the flesh.
Have I unknowingly been in the presence of an angel?
Father, are angels for real? Your words confirm that angels are indeed real and that we interact with them and are observed by them more than we know. It is sort of a scary thing, at first, because we don’t know whether we just entertainied an angel or if we are in the presence of a person that seems a little more interested in us than we would expect.
Predestination…does that mean we don’t have a choice?
Jesus, predestination is such a mystery to us. Paul reminds us that You chose us, that is, You knew from the beginning of time which of us would respond to Your call. Does that mean we had no choice? Apparently not, because You repeatedly teach us to seek You, to pray about Your will for our lives to be fulfilled, to pray for the disadvantaged, to proclaim You to the lost.